The Global Position System is a system that may be used to remotely determine the geographic location of a target or moveable entity. Typically, the system operates with a processor of a software system and a GPS receiver device. When a GPS receiver device is installed on the target entity, which may be a mobile machine, for example, the machine can then be remotely located and managed by the combination of the GPS receiver device and local cellular communication.
The GPS device may be placed “on-board” the machine and in the situation where the machine is a heavy machine being operated at a construction site, the GPS device receives power from its alternator or power generator during operation and, in contrast, receives power solely from the battery when the machine is powered off. However, the power from the battery will be depleted quickly if the machine engine is not operating to replenish or recharge the battery assuming the GPS device continues to consume power by engaging in communication with remote entities, for example. Hence, the ability to collect machine data via the GPS device regardless of the operational status of the machine is important and remains a challenge for these machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,341 to Hasegawa attempts to address adopting a power saving strategy to ensure GPS data collection is not disabled. Hasegawa provides a GPS receiver having a GPS antenna adapted to communicate with a satellite periodically and if the machine is not changed in location, then the GPS system is urged into standby. Hasegawa further suggests using a timer to switch the GPS system to active mode once a predetermined time period has lapsed.
However, Hasegawa uses a frequency oscillator to initiate standby which is expensive and complicated to adapt to a mobile machine. For example, it is complex to read and determine the orbit information in order to switch the GPS receiver into a standby mode. Moreover, the oscillation frequency fluctuates before connecting and after disconnecting power to the GPS receiver and this frequency fluctuation directly affects the reading of the orbit information. As a result, the accuracy of the device during such fluctuation is questionable and therefore the application of standby is inconsistent.
The present disclosure is directed to provide solutions to overcome one or more of the deficiencies set forth above.